Building a Snow Cave | Ray Mears Extreme Survival | BBC Studios

Ray Mears demonstrates how to make a warm snow cave hide-out in severe weather when caught in the mountains.
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[@eyg24]

If you love that saw so much why don't you marry it.

[@123Booduh]

Idk why but... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Thank you I laughed out loud reading ur comment.

[@ID-pw8zb]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@JoshuaGodinez]

That's brilliant. I've seen it described in books, but never saw the process all along. Loved it.

[@digitalwarfares]

Admittedly, you can't just watch these things and not pay attention. You absorb so much information via raw memory, and you'd be surprised just how much you do remember when stuck in difficult situations. I remember going out hiking and we had lost our tent pegs. I remember watching Ray Mears make tent pegs which he put into fire to harden them. My friends were surprised how much I knew. All I did was remember what I had watched, and luckily it was something that helped us greatly

[@anaesterhazy631]

Despite popular belief emergency snow shelters arc not toastingly warm. They are last-resort shelters which are used when other materials arc frozen up. They work by providing a warmer environment inside than outside, by blocking off the chilling wind, and by trapping body heat. Ground warmth is also significant but you will need to provide this in the form of pine boughs, skins or sleeping mats. The choice of shelter you decide to build will depend upon the conditions you are faced with, terrain and most importantly the type of snow. Snow is not a static material; it is always changing and as it changes so do its properties and usefulness. For this reason no one type of snow shelter will always be usable. cited from his survival handbook

[@MaddenManification]

I must remember to pack a saw when hiking in snowy mountains.

[@qaesar09]

Get a folding saw, they're quite handy

[@crossbowman100]

that was amazing . i cant belive how nice of a shelter you can make in the cold mountains.

[@22bearsfan]

that is the coolist thing i,ve ever seen in my whole life!!!

[@goldner34]

Ah yes, there it is, my 1 foot saw that I packed in my backpack...

[@DaRunTingsCrew]

Absolutely love this clip.

[@mixindave1]

this was a great episode

[@warriormom5232]

My gosh, I was 10 days old when this was uploaded

[@hasantanveer9457]

i was a few months

[@r5t6y12]

In areas of the world where you can get more than 15 inches of snow in less than 24 hours these things work great on fire hydrants and storm drains as well. Here in the northeast USA we just got blasted by a big storm over January 23rd - 24th 2016. I pulled out both of the 2 cave carvers that I bought a few months ago and one of my neighbors and I walked around our hometown cleaning out more than 25 fire hydrants and more than 60 storm drains in less than 8 hours. Fortunately our town hasn't had any structure fires yet, but if we get any most of our hometown will be prepared to get to the water that is underground or being able to wash any water away underground.

[@kanta4444s]

r5t6y12 sup

[@dareenblack1984]

sup

[@Zorkki170]

thats really cool - looks quite cozy ^^

[@kamakazier]

whoa.. well put.

[@NeglectedField]

What a hero

[@zixo500]

coolest thing ever

[@ShakedXsin]

awesome video, you really helped me!

[@umairrrr]

Ray can make a neat job out of anything.

[@BruceGoose03]

this would be fun to just try, even not in survival situations. Good to practice stuff like this

[@westpool8807]

ive done it

[@DantevKratos]

This was amazing. :)

[@seanbturner]

That was like the last time I was caught out, but I had no saw, no candle and no snow; Im lucky I'm still here.

[@cheatengine54]

looks so cool

[@deanmajid6979]

Amazing

[@theclubpenguinrocker]

THAT IS SO COOL!

[@spcm2]

excellent video!

[@deathward]

THAT IS JUST SO COOL

[@katanaburner]

Living in the Sierra Nevadas I have got to try that when our next snow storm hits. This is way cool!...literally!

[@AhYaOk]

good info. i like the part about the cold sink. good science.

[@killer231233]

awesome i need to build it!!!

[@savagecabage]

nice cave ray!

[@KevinBrauer_]

great video

[@LiamSwordsz]

tbh... i could live there! THATS WELL GOOD! RAY! YOU DA MAN!

[@andrewwilliams8187]

Snow is a wonderful substance

[@Spoksy]

aw it looks comfy in there

[@STORM6490MT]

You would love our terrain. The mother of them all would be Whistler in Canada. I live on bigmtn docom. Our ski area is really nice. The best thing about it is the back country or off piste access. It is illegal to go off piste in some areas but our mountain is on public land!

[@joakim2407]

And how much heat can snow hold before it melts...? If you breath at, and then also warming, the snow, it will freeze to ice as the melted snow freezes (before it has time to drip down). A small entrance, a cold-well, ventilation hole and a raised sleeping platform is the basics of a secure and reliable snowcave.

[@danburleton]

Still great info

[@FamousYuuki]

thats a cool survival tip...sounds like something id wanna do for fun though

[@starshock01]

omg thats freaking crazy...i really wanna build a cave that big now...

[@Rich10000]

awesome =)

[@mvblitzyo]

Great how video

[@Ztevie92]

nice

[@eleftheriosntitouras4893]

i remember doing this in the army

[@sbespn3820]

You can also line the sleeping platforms with pine needles for a bit of insulation between you and the snow.

[@kwstikas82]

it can be built with only a shovel, or any other tool with wide head. A shovel, axe, saw, even a wide and thin piece of wood can do the job. With more effort, but it can be done. I think the point of the video is to show how the shape of the cave should be, not what tools are needed

[@prankpatrol89]

I WANNA MAKE THAT!

[@djscottdog1]

loved his statistic , "cuts the work by a 1/3" how did he work that out lol

[@tiarnan76]

x2 - saw = 1/3

[@Delosian]

Knowing how long it takes once without the saw, then again with the saw, tells him that it took (for example) two hours rather than three hours, which is 1/3rd less time.

[@sparow331]

cool

[@shotchenlee]

I WANNA TRY IT!!!! =D

[@hokman1]

have a fun

[@ingenmansland]

I never have a saw with me but i sharpen and flaten a pretty big stick to carve it out, works well. or if you have a good shovel with you.

[@muddinguy100]

Kick ass

[@lackutterfly3450]

cooool

[@JN-xn1zp]

In scotland on a winter mountain course this week, we are building and sleeping in one tomorrow night, hopefully better than this on as it has a very open entrance.

[@ForeverTwenty7]

Pretty beastly, they did it ancient yeti style. Lol :D

[@digitalwarfares]

From my point of view knowledge is power. We are far better off learning things even with an expectation of never having to rely on what we've learned, but we stand a much better chance of survival if we do watch things like this. You never know if you're out and about whilst skiing and the snow starts to fall and winds begin to pick up. If you had never watched this video - then you wouldn't really have a clue about what needs to be done. By watching it, your chances are greatly improved

[@WornGlobe]

I always wonder if such caves are prone to collapse

[@milkishealthy9662]

Anyone know the name of the song that starts at 1:31?

[@ottmarniin3034]

I ran away from home. Now im gonna build one

[@RosesForTheDead7]

he certanly does. i wanna go build one now :)

[@moemoe20092007]

@weirdfishArp hmmmm nice feeling you gave me haha cup of tea and a bed time horror story..

[@lucacioria]

search for "how to build a snow cave step by step" to see my attempt at building a snow cave! A few useful suggestions are given there, too..

[@STORM6490MT]

Happens a lot over here in the rocky mountains. We have a lot more powder. I have seen snowmobile riders carry take-down saws since they often tangle up with tree branches below the snow. I just don't think anybody would actually carry a big wood saw like in the video. The alps must be fun! Do you use a transceiver, probe and shovel there?

[@gervasone1]

...when they lit the candle and the whole snow cave was melt! :)

[@tsx80cc]

in norway its easy to make snow caves, i use to build huge snow caves evry year.

[@djscottdog1]

ray mears

[@DaRunTingsCrew]

Atleast with Ray Mears you know you'd get good food.

[@batbawls]

YoeriYoeri, thanks for the reply. Regarding your comment, that's not my point. My point is that there isn't anything extreme about carrying those tools with you to survive in the wilderness. It would be 'extreme' to survive without those tools.

[@Olsfen1]

This kind of snow cave looks nice and it sounds perfect but it becomes way to wet

[@mapekmatgeisl]

I hope I will never have to use this, but it's cool.

[@GreenManalichi]

If only I could remember to take a shovel and saw with me the next time Im hiking in the snowy mountains

[@blamstam]

mark friedem honestly, if you’re hiking in snowy mountains without both a saw and shovel you’re putting yourself at risk. Lots of jokes at the expense of his gear, but I regularly carry both tools on winter outings as do all my companions and they are always put to use. Rays advise is really pretty sound

[@widgeonslayer]

This is an interesting video with good points but I don't usually carry a carpentry saw in my bushkit. Another danger in building snow caves is sweating during the work. After all sweat is one of the most dangerous things in winter survival.

[@globe255]

@winky4u No! all over 0 C is the melting point of ice. +20 C is a summer temp or close to the normal room temp which is 21 C.

[@wwebadgerse]

@xcoolperson god all u haters get it all wrong look how fuckin deep the snow is of course it isn't going to collapse and besides he's a survival expert he knows what he's doin

[@medievalman86]

omg I def want to build a snow cave now :) wonder what happens if an avalanche comes :x is it deep enough that the roof supports the additional weight??? who knows, but I have to build a cave now :P

[@HaikuAutomation]

a simple big agnes air matress will help you avoid being cold in a big way here, (maybe 1 lb of material, very durable). Sleeping on hard cold slab of ice (it will become that) snow slab/bench will be unbelievably dangerous regarding food consumption, body temps, and of course sliding off the bench into the cold slot in the cave. Be smart, prepared, and alive.

[@Bloated_Tony_Danza]

if you made the roof more of an arch shape would it make it less likely to collapse?

[@ikilicoglu]

its easy, get some mates (about 4) and you can do it in a couple of hours. I did it yesterday night!

[@STORM6490MT]

Yeah, I'm going to carry an ordinary wood saw in my day pack! Another thing you may consider is location. You don't want one where you can be taken out by avalanches, snowmobiles or skiers. I leave equipment outside the shelter so people know you are nearby or under the snow.

[@tobigforyou]

that was tight. to bad it doesnt snow allot here :(

[@musicisdabest671]

when hes cutting the snow out ..what is the name and that on the song thats on :)

[@BowlingFreak218]

yeah you have a point

[@silentcid]

@iiReMz The candle wouldn't be that hot to melt the snow. There is a lot of heat inside the cave and the colder temps outside keep the snow from melting your cave.

[@direct998]

great video . another benefit is that bank of america can't foreclose since theres no paperwork involved !

[@deathward]

err where will the camera man sleep??

[@Leatherfacet]

deathward He's expendable.

[@dhom100]

wow that's awsome. can't stay in there too long though. get trapped in there.

[@gregpev]

‘You might be wondering how I’m going to deal with this frostbitten leg out in the wild, but actually you can do most of the work with a saw’

[@Casman011]

YEah we just got a boat load about 2 feet ive made a snow oile and trying to dig it out now its kinda hard though were havin a state of emergancy it pretty bad down here

[@Rapidpanda1st]

@redden1000 Anyone with enough sense to realise there is a possibility of being stranded on the mountain and needs to build a cave in order to survive. ~Frosty.

[@TheMetallicaGods]

"Wood cutting sword". lol

[@geekthinker]

I want to build one so bad. where was this?

[@Screech891]

I swear there would be a massive risk of the roof collapsing in.... but awesome clip

[@Salesharks07]

when the snow caves finishd, the snow is pretty much as solid as rock, they wudnt sleep innit if ther was a risk of it collapsing

[@callumcolville9683]

I would be so scared of a cave-in I don't think I would be able to sleep

[@Parshaz]

No snow in my country :'( Its 40c here!

[@anaesterhazy631]

how is it air tight if your door doesnt close fully?

[@wtfjamesf]

they had to cut it with a saw, its probably strong enough to hold its own

[@ryanpedersen5722]

Im australian too, but it looks awesome, do these things collapse on you?

[@airborne49]

Actually you can use a machete or wire saw. They have folding sweede saws that do not too bad of a job either. The shovel is your main tool and if you have that your laughing. At cold tempretures -30C and -40c you scent only lasts about 25mins, if your not making a whole heck of a lot of noise "wolves will not even know you are there, as well the wolves would have to be pretty hungry to go after you.

[@imwinkelr]

I am looking for someone to go snow caving in Europe this Winter. Did it in the Great Lakes.